TR: a week along the Continental Divide, 1-10 Aug 2014

[alavigne]

Hi, All

I thought many might be interested in a trip report detailing a week-long (well, more like 9 days) trip spent exploring several trails / routes along the Continental Divide between Glacier National Park and Banff National Park, in early August of 2014. Only one of the outings ended up being an overnighter (in the Kananaskis region of Alberta), and the rest were all day outings. The whole thing was a nice mix of on and off-trail hiking with a bit of scrambling thrown in here and there. The outings were:

- Section of the Highline Trail, Glacier National Park, MT
- Iceberg Lake, Glacier National Park, MT
- Carthew-Alderson trail (plus side trip to Mt Carthew), Waterton Lakes National Park, AB
- Akamina Ridge, Waterton Lakes NP & Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park (Forum Peak scramble variant), AB/BC
- Aster Lake + Warrior Mountain, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Kananaskis region, AB
- Mount Temple via SW route, Banff NP, AB

Somewhat cornily, I've called the whole thing 'Astride the Divide', since just about every outing was either on the divide or within a mile or two of it.

https://alavigne.net/Outdoors/TripReports/2014/Rockies/

...Andrew

 

[Jazzbo]

Thank you for posting this link to your trip report. It is remarkably well written. It must have been a labor of love. Photography is very fine. Very inspiring! I've only read half of the trip reports. I've bookmarked your site and will be back often.

Jazzbo

 

[Daniel Eagan]

Great report as usual, thanks very much. Envious of what you got to do.

 

[alavigne]

Thank you for posting this link to your trip report. It is remarkably well written. It must have been a labor of love. Photography is very fine. Very inspiring! I've only read half of the trip reports. I've bookmarked your site and will be back often.

Jazzbo

Most kind, and thank you. Glad that others are enjoying the report (and yes, it does take a lot of time to write).

 

[DougPaul]

Nice TR (and trip...). Thanks.

BTW, Crypt Lake is a nice hike. The lake itself is unique in that it has no surface outlet--the water exits through cracks in the bottom that form into an underground stream that emerges at the top of the cliff just below the lake. And, of course, there is the much publicized traverse on a ledge above the cliff and tunnel on the trail.

Doug

 

[Peakbagr]

I thoroughly enjoy your trip reports and photos. Look forward to them every time you take a trip.

 

[alavigne]

Nice TR (and trip...). Thanks.

BTW, Crypt Lake is a nice hike. The lake itself is unique in that it has no surface outlet--the water exits through cracks in the bottom that form into an underground stream that emerges at the top of the cliff just below the lake. And, of course, there is the much publicized traverse on a ledge above the cliff and tunnel on the trail.

Doug

Yes, Crypt Lake was on our list of potential outings. I'd definitely like to do it sometime.

The no-outlet lake sounds similar to the situation at Hidden Lake in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in the Kananaskis region. Not surprising, I guess, given the soluble nature of the bedrock in both places.

 

[DougPaul]

Yes, Crypt Lake was on our list of potential outings. I'd definitely like to do it sometime.

It's a pleasant non-technical hike. Did it with my family way back when... (I was probably in my teens.)

The no-outlet lake sounds similar to the situation at Hidden Lake in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in the Kananaskis region. Not surprising, I guess, given the soluble nature of the bedrock in both places.

IIRC (it has been a long time...), the outlet shore of the lake is a broad dike (like a human built dam, not like a volcanic dike) with no visible inlet for water. However, a sizeable stream flows out of a tunnel on the outlet side.

Hadn't thought about the detailed geology, but there is certainly enough limestone in the general area to form such a passage.

FWIW, there are fossilized stromatlites in the talus slope before the tunnel. (I don't recall seeing them myself--just saw a comment in http://www.watertonpark.com/reference/geology.htm.) My father was an avid amateur geologist so it is quite possible that he pointed them out to us.

One other item of interest is that there was a hawk nest near the trail and the hawks were known to dive bomb hikers as they passed by. Probably gone by now...

Doug